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Weekly Recap: Chrysler forges ahead with new name, same mission

Chrysler is history. Sort of. The 89-year-old automaker was absorbed into the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles conglomerate that officially launched this fall, and now the local operations will no longer use the Chrysler Group name. Instead, it's FCA US LLC. Catchy, eh? Here's what it means: The sign outside Chrysler's Auburn Hills, MI, headquarters says FCA (which it already did) and obviously, all official documents use the new name, rather than Chrysler. That's about it. The executives, brands and location of the headquarters aren't changing. You'll still be able to buy a Chrysler 200. It's just made by FCA US LLC. This reinforces that FCA is one company going forward – the seventh largest automaker in the world – not a Fiat-Chrysler dual kingdom. While the move is symbolic, it is a conflicting moment for Detroiters, though nothing is really changing. Chrysler has been owned by someone else (Daimler, Cerberus) for the better part of two decades, but it still seemed like it was Chrysler in the traditional sense: A Big 3 automaker in Detroit. Now, it's clearly the US division of a multinational industrial empire; that's good thing for its future stability, but bittersweet nonetheless. Undoubtedly, it's an emotion that's also being felt at Fiat's Turin, Italy, headquarters as the company will no longer officially be called Fiat there. Digest that for a moment. What began in 1899 as the Societa Anonima Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino – or FIAT – is now FCA Italy SpA. In a statement, FCA said the move "is intended to emphasize the fact that all group companies worldwide are part of a single organization." The new names are the latest changes orchestrated by CEO Sergio Marchionne, who continues to makeover FCA as an international automaker that has ties to its heritage – but isn't tied down by it. Everything from the planned spinoff of Ferrari, a new FCA headquarters in London and the pending demise of the Dodge Grand Caravan in 2016 has shown that the company is willing to move quickly, even if it's controversial. While renaming the United States and Italian divisions were the moves most likely to spur controversy, FCA said other regions across the globe will undergo similar name changes this year. Despite the mixed emotions, it's worth noting: The name of the merged company that oversees all of these far-flung units is Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Obviously the Chrysler corporate name isn't completely history.

Jaguar F Type V6 S vs Triumph Street Triple R in open-air track attack

Typically, these track battle videos pair up car against car or, in more disparate circumstances, car versus crossover, as we saw the other day. While the outcome of that battle was quite predictable, what'll happen when an equally fetching (and fast) four-wheeler is put up against one of the icons of the two-wheeled world? Evo just had to find out.
Matching up a Jaguar F-Type V6 S Convertible against a Triumph Street Triple R is at least more of an even fight than the last battle between the Porsche Cayman GTS and Macan Turbo. The Triumph has a 675-cc engine to work with, and is very light. Meanwhile, the Jag has a thumping 380-horsepower, 3.0-liter, supercharged V6 to haul about it's considerably heftier heft. Who will come out on top?
You'll need to watch the full video to find out.

Jay Leno drives the Jaguar F-Type Project 7

Even for Jay Leno, Monterey Car Week is a special experience. After all, his collection is absolutely massive, but vehicles show up for this exclusive event on the California peninsula that even Jay doesn't know about. He's giving us a just a tiny taste of this year's event in the latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage. The majority of this clip is dedicated to an in-depth look at the Jaguar F-Type Project 7, and Jay gets the details direct from designer Ian Callum. The two of them are old friends after doing the 2014 Mille Miglia together in a Jaguar XK120. After getting a mountain of info about the inspiration behind this special F-Type, they go for a ride on some beautiful California roads to listen to the wonderful, crackling exhaust. Following the drive, Jay finds a racecar from the teens that he is completely unfamiliar with. Thankfully, the mechanic is nearby to shed some light on this rarity. We hope there're more videos to come about Leno's visit to Monterey Car Week, but hopefully his team can fix some of the sound issues in this clip.